Queensland’s emergency vehicles green-lit for a quicker response

A US$6 million rollout of new traffic signal technology is to be rolled out across Queensland, Australia, over the next four years to improve travel times for emergency services vehicles, allowing quicker response times to priority incidents across the state. Emergency vehicle priority (EVP) technology automatically interrupts traffic signal operations to provide a green light signal to emergency response vehicles when safe to do so.
November 25, 2015 Read time: 2 mins

A US$6 million rollout of new traffic signal technology is to be rolled out across Queensland, Australia, over the next four years to improve travel times for emergency services vehicles, allowing quicker response times to priority incidents across the state.

Emergency vehicle priority (EVP) technology automatically interrupts traffic signal operations to provide a green light signal to emergency response vehicles when safe to do so.
The new technology rollout will reduce wait times for Queensland Fire and Rescue Service and the Queensland Ambulance Service and create a safer road network for motorists and emergency services drivers.

A recent performance evaluation of EVP in the Gold Coast area has shown that travel time for EVP equipped vehicles was reduced by 17-26 per cent compared to non-EVP equipped vehicles. Over the next four years, a further 1,600 intersections and nearly 700 emergency vehicles will be fitted with the devices

Toowoomba and Mackay are the next regional centres planned for the rollout, with EVP technology to be enabled in 2016. This expansion will complement the existing 800 intersections, 215 ambulances and 69 fire trucks that are currently using this technology.

The project is a joint collaboration between 796 Transmax, the 7026 Department of Transport and Main Roads, Queensland Fire and Emergency Services, Queensland Ambulance Service, and Public Service Business Agency. 

Urban Traffic Control

Related Content

  • April 2, 2014
    Big data and GPS combine to cut emergency response times
    David Crawford looks at technologies for better emergency medical service delivery. Emergency medical services (EMS) play key roles in transporting, or bringing treatment to, patients who become ill through medical emergencies or are injured in road traffic accidents (RTAs). But awareness has been rising steadily, in the US and elsewhere, of the extent to which EMS can generate their own emergencies. The most common cause is vehicles causing or becoming involved in RTAs, as a result of driving fast under pr
    Read More
  • May 16, 2014
    GPS technology improves safety for emergency response teams
    Emergency response teams in the densely populated town of Brookhaven, New York, respond to more than 5,000 emergency calls every month. To enable fire-fighters and emergency services to meet the demand, town officials made the decision to upgrade to Opticom GPS priority control technology on more 500 fire trucks and at almost as many intersections. Opticom GPS uses a global network of GPS satellites to calculate vehicle speed, direction and precise location to pre-empt signals even around corners or obs
    Read More
  • June 20, 2012
    Vehicle probe data aids emergency rescue vehicle routing
    A new vehicle routeing initiative has arisen to help improve emergency response and relief following natural disasters in Japan. David Crawford reports Japan’s national ITS group ITS Japan and the country’s leading automotives have agreed on a new combined approach to the organisation of traffic management and emergency response in the wake of major natural disasters. A new, robust traffic information platform using probe data obtained from vehicles to support traffic flow will build on the shared experienc
    Read More
  • November 28, 2014
    Data applications shine in Australia’s National ITS Awards
    Intelligent Transport Systems organisations and professionals representing industry, government and the research/academic community were recognised by their peers in Australia’s 2014 National Awards. Winners included: Intelematics Australia, which won the Industry Award for the Toyota Connected Vehicle Programs, a world market leading approach to in-vehicle connected technology.
    Read More

Highlighted Content